CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. –Kelly
Paton (Woodstock, Ontario) recorded four points, including her
100th career assist, to propel the fourth-ranked University of New
Hampshire women’s ice hockey team to Sunday night’s 4-1
victory against Boston College in the regular-season finale at
Conte Forum. With the victory UNH finished in a three-way tie for
second place in the Hockey East standings and will be the No. 2
seed in the upcoming 8th Annual Hockey East Championship
tournament.

UNH improved to 19-7-5 overall and 13-6-2-0 in Hockey East. The
Wildcats receive a first-round bye and will play the highest
remaining seed in a March 6 semifinal game at Providence
College’s Schneider Arena. Boston College ends the regular
season at 8-16-10, 7-10-4-4 and the sixth-seeded Eagles will play
at third-seeded Boston University in next weekend’s
quarterfinals.

Paton combined with linemates Micaela Long (South Boston, Mass.)
and Kristina Lavoie (Fonthill, Ontario) to record a total of 11
points. Long and Paton both finished with four points on a goal and
three assists. The assist and point totals tied personal bests for
Paton, while the point total matched Long’s career high.
Lavoie tallied two goals and an assist to equal her marks in both
goals and points.

Paton became the fifth UNH Wildcat to reach the 100-assist
milestone with her third of the game. She entered the night with 97
assists and attained the benchmark at 8:06 of the second period,
when she set up Lavoie’s goal that gave the ‘Cats a 4-0
lead.

UNH goaltender Lindsey Minton (Richardson, Texas) made 16 saves,
half of which came in the third period, and had her shutout bid
spoiled when Allie Thunstrom scored with 18 seconds remaining in
the game.

BC starting goalie Corinne Boyles was charged with the loss. She
stopped eight shots and exited the game at 13:56 of the first
period with BC trailing 3-0. Kiera Kingston went the rest of the
way and made 15 saves.

The Wildcats skated to a 3-0 lead in the first period on the
strength of two power-play goals. Long corralled the rebound off a
Courtney Sheary (Melrose, Mass.) shot in the left corner and slid a
pass to Paton cutting through the inner circle. At the end line,
Paton fed the puck back to Lavoie and she scored from point-blank
range at 6:40.

New Hampshire potted power-play goals 1:52 apart – at 12:04
and 13:56 – to quickly extend its advantage to 3-0. Paton
scored off a rebound at the left post to make it a two-goal game.
Long, whose initial shot from the right doorstep was stopped by
Boyles, and Lavoie set up the game-winning tally.

On the next goal, Raylen Dziengelewski (Southwick, Mass.) chipped
the puck forward at the blue line to keep the puck in the offensive
zone. Paton collected it in the slot and quickly slid a pass to the
right post, where Long redirected a shot into the open side of the
net.

In the third minute of the second period, Thunstrom had a breakaway
down the slot and wristed a shot that caromed off the right
post.

UNH took a 4-0 lead at 8:06. On a faceoff to Kingston’s
right, Long drew the puck to the slot and Paton fired a shot that
was stopped by the BC goalie. Lavoie pulled in the rebound at the
top of the crease to score from close range.

With 4:30 remaining in the second stanza, Minton made one of her
stronger saves when she extended her right leg pad to deny Danielle
Welch, who stole the puck deep in the right circle and quickly sent
a shot towards the far post.

Thunstrom, with the assistance of Welch and Shannon Webster, closed
the scoring late in the final frame.